HOBOKEN -- The owners and potential developers of property in uptown Hoboken that has been the center of a controversy involving Gov. Chris Christie have terminated the lobbying firm at the heart of the maelstrom, according to a report inside Friday's New York Times.

The Rockefeller Group of New York, which has been buying land in Hoboken since 2008, hoped to build a 40-story building on their property. Recently, Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer alleged that Gov. Chris Christie's officials improperly pressured her last year to push for development of the project, allegedly telling Zimmer that she would get more hurricane relief aid if she supported the project.

The lobbyists for the project were Woff & Samson, a firm that includes partner David Samson, a close Christie ally. The alleged quid pro quo made national news.

According to the story, "Rockefeller Group said on Thursday that last week it had terminated its contract with the firm, Wolff & Samson, ending a relationship that began in 2007. 'Given the investigation,' Dwayne Doherty, a spokesman for Rockefeller Group, said, 'we’ve decided to shift our work on the project to another firm.' "